The Abuse of Prescription Medication

The White House is still very much a part of the fight against drugs. They know just as well as anyone that drugs can be damaging, but they also know that the world is changing and just like cocaine was big in the 1980’s there are other drugs that are more important to focus on now. The big problem these days, as outlined by the center for disease control, is the abuse of prescription medication.

This is no laughing matter and it’s something that gets bigger every day. It’s the best way, when it comes down to it, to hide your addiction. It’s why it’s so attractive for people to get hooked on and it’s easy for people to stay in the addiction. The biggest reason being you can obtain in legally. If you are pulled over by a law enforcement officer and they ask you if you have anything in the car and you show them a prescription medication there is no consequence for that .

If you are looking for refills on your addictive medication you doctor can certainly give you a refill and will if they aren’t sure that you are addicted. It’s part of the issue that makes controlling the addiction that much more difficult. You have to look for signs and it’s not always easy.

The truth is that  until there is better information out there and concentrated efforts to control the abuse there will be an issue. It’s something that will continue to grow. Let’s hope we can figure out a way to stop it.

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Elderly Substance Abuse

It might be surprising to most people but substance abuse is common among elderly as much as in teens and middle aged people. It is an increasing problem which is amplified with no one to stop them from going overboard. Old people get the nostalgic feeling of being young again. The fear of getting caught is absent which makes this an increasingly spreading problem.

Elderly people have their entire lives earning at their disposal which the elderly person has nowhere else to spend but to buy one thing that makes one forget that they are old. With unlimited access to prescription drugs, they are the first substances that elderly people begin misusing and becoming addicted to. Doctors cannot monitor the amount of drugs that a person consumes, just the drug is prescribed. With no curb to over the counter drugs and very little drug required to set effect, elderly people have it easy if they want to become addicts.

With no knowledge further unless signs of misuse begin showing. The increasing practice of sending parents to old age homes is another reason for this problem. Old age homes are the places where this practice if followed where greedy caretakers give access to unlimited alcohol and drugs to elderly. Some estimates report that more than 4.4 million elderly people require substance abuse treatment urgently and more who need to be stopped. What practice begins with binge drinking, slowly turns into a health hazard. It has also come to media’s attention that the elderly consume alcohol along with medicines such as aspirin which can cause stomach bleeding and intestinal corrosion. Other common drugs abused are acetaminophen which causes liver damage. Treatment is necessary for elderly when they develop an addiction. Without treatment, they will only drastically shorten their precious lives. Hence care takers and children apart from giving attention to their hormonal teens, need to give special attention to the elderly.

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Pain Clinics Fuel the Need for Prescription Drug Rehab Programs

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Pain clinics appear to be popping up in a number of areas. They advertise their ability to help those with chronic pain find relief. From the outside, they appear to be completely legitimate medical operations. They have licensed physicians on staff. They even accept Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance.

The exterior, critics assert, is misleading. They argue that these easily visible clinics are really nothing more than a legal way to encourage prescription drug abuse and are fuelling the need for prescription drug rehab programs.

According to critics, the clinics are more than happy to issue prescriptions for high-powered pain relievers based on little more than a patient’s self-assessment of discomfort. This makes it incredibly easy for drug-users to maintain a supply of pharmaceutical narcotics. In some cases, the clinics are willing to write prescriptions for a surprisingly small number of pills, making it possible for those with limited resources to “get a fix.”

The prescriptions keep flying out of the clinics and the number of people suffering in the throes of addiction continues to grow. Prescription drug rehab programs are busier than ever. Some are even forced to turn away patients due to a lack of space and resources.

There is little doubt that a lack of control on prescription drugs makes it easier to develop and to maintain an addiction, according to those who lobby for heightened oversight and regulation. That is why a growing number of concerned citizens are lobbying their elected representatives to enact measures that would make it more difficult for doctors to hand out narcotics and that might otherwise curb the booming “pain clinic” industry.

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Teen Misconceptions about Substance Abuse

Many teens have misconceptions about substance abuse. They know it exists but it’s easy to justify what you see others doing, especially if it looks necessary, normal, and at times fun and aggrandized.

Drugs Make you Feel Better

Many teens see adults in their world using drug, prescription drugs, to help them feel better. We’re using anti-depressants, anti-pain medications, and antibiotics every day. So, when you see everyone around you using legal drugs every day, it makes them seem common place. Some kids, in fact many, even take drugs that can become very addictive to help them do well in school. Some kids are on anti-depressants to help them better cope with stress and depression. But teens need to know and be told and told again, that taking medications is not commonplace, and it needs to be done with discretion and under the consultation of a doctor. Remind kids that any drug will only provide a temporary fix. If they aren’t feeling better, physically their body needs to heal. If they’re not feeling well emotionally, then they need to do some emotional healing. However, substance abuse will only cover that hurt up. It doesn’t actually fix anything. All drugs in a home, especially addicting ones, should be locked up.

Athletes Take Drugs to be Successful

Sometimes teens will use the excuse that drugs help popular athletes to be more successful. They see people they idolize taking drugs, why shouldn’t they. Again, teens have to realize that it’s illegal and drugs only provide a short-term, unrealistic help. It’s not lasting. If they really want to be successful at what they do, they should want to do it the real way, not the substance abuse way.

I Won’t get Addicted

Teens think they won’t become addicted. Again, education is the key. Let your teen read about the experiences of recovering addicts and how easily they became addicted. Educate them and yourself. Help them find their own reasons to not get involved with substance abuse.

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Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise (Drugs Rx)

Prescription medication (or drugs Rx) is generally used correctly and by the people who have been prescribed those drugs. However, statistics show that approximately 20 percent of people in America have used prescription drugs for reasons other than the conditions for which they were prescribed. This is considered abuse of prescription drugs. And it is a growing trend that is dangerous.

This could be the young woman who takes her brother’s ADHD medication as an appetite suppressant or the young man who finds painkillers prescribed to his father after a surgical procedure. Both assume that because these drugs were prescribed they must be safe. There’s also the assumption that because they are prescription drugs there’s no risk of addiction. However, there’s a very high risk of addiction especially with narcotic painkillers, stimulants, sedatives, and tranquilizers.

Additionally, some people experiment with these prescription drugs thinking it’s fun, they will help them lose weight, or they will help them to be accepted by their peers. And these drugs can be easier to obtain than illegal street drugs. These drugs can be obtained from friends and family. There are also many illicit websites that will sell these drugs online, even to youngsters.

Unfortunately many people who abuse these drugs ignore the fact that they are placing themselves in danger. These drugs are only safe for those for whom the prescription was written because a doctor examined that person and gave him or her the correct dosage for his or her specific condition. Doctors also usually monitor the patients for potential side effects and other complications.

While overdosing on drugs is a major risk, the chemicals and compounds in the prescription drugs can interact badly when taken in combination with other substances. Pharmacists and physicians can monitor any possible dangerous interaction of drugs, and this monitor cannot happen with people who are abusing drugs not prescribed for them.

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